Republican traditionalists met in Derry at the weekend to attempt to
build a united opposition to the new political order in the North and
the “continuing British occupation”.

Ex-IRA and INLA prisoners joined members of the 32 County Sovereignty
Movement and Irish Republican Socialist Party, former members of Ogra
Sinn Féin and Noraid, and unaligned republicans at the gathering in the
Ancient Order of Hibernians’ hall on Saturday.

Some Republican Sinn Féin members also attended in a personal capacity.

The meeting was chaired by former Sinn Féin Assembly member, John
Kelly. The following keynote address was given by Marion Price of the
32 County Sovereignty Movement.

Friends and comrades, I would like to begin by thanking the organisers
of this worthy event for giving us the opportunity to speak, discussion
and debate is a useful beginning in trying to develop some form of
collective strategy to offset the damage that has been done to
republicanism in recent years.

We in the 32 County Sovereignty Movement have consistently called for
debate and dialogue on this issue and we are delighted that this first
step has been taken.

It is a sad truth but one that must be addressed that republicanism as
we understand it has been dealt a severe blow particularly in the last
decade since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement and the
successful attempts to portray it as a constitutional settlement and
the will of the Irish people. First and foremost the demoralisation and
decline in the republican separatist base has to be acknowledged. To
recognise this decline is to recognise the need to act to prevent
further erosion of the republican position. It is all very well each of
us sitting in our respective ivory towers clinging tightly to the
correctness of our ideologies however collectively and individually we
have up to this point failed in attaining our objectives.

It must also be recognised that this decline and failure has been a
practical one and not one of a theoretical or ideological nature. Our
republican separatist ideology is sound but our means of advancing and
achieving it is flawed. An ideological response to this fact is not
required but a pragmatic one is. A means of maintaining our ideological
positions but fusing this with practical political activity that
compliments our republicanism is what is required and in truth long
overdue. Only republicans can assist republicanism in this venture. May
8th must represent a turning point for us all in that we were all
powerless to prevent the restoration of the six county British
parliament and all that has gone with it. We were unable to convince
the majority of the people of the merits of our position on policing.
We must ask ourselves in a self critical way why this was so.

Politics is concerned with the engagement of people. It is not a
spectator sport. If a political or ideological position does not
prevail it’s because another position has been successful in opposing
it. Understanding that this opposition is based upon practical devices
as opposed to wrangling over ideological purity is a pre-requisite to
forming successful strategies of our own. We cannot talk over the heads
of the people. Republican unity or cooperation is not a principle but
rather a strategy. A strategy is not an end in itself but a means to an
objective. This can be said of Republican Unity. It should be viewed as
a strategic device and not an ideological one.

The merits of practical republican cooperation were clearly illustrated
here in Derry with the more than credible election result of Peggy O’Hara.
This result is proof that cooperation can yield results for the
common good of republicanism, it was a practical campaign based on a
practical political platform. We only have to look at the effects of a
unified campaign against republican separatism waged by the DUP and
Provisional Sinn Féin to witness how practical cooperation, even
between ideological adversaries can be successful. It would be a sad
indictment of everyone in this room if we as ideological bedfellows
cannot envisage the benefits and possibilities of unity and
cooperation.

Republican Unity is not a broad front as in a structured body with
formal rules and policies. It is not an attempt to homogenise
republicanism but is a mechanism to effect and explore practical
cooperation between republicans on as broad and diverse a front as
possible. Many of us here tonight have experience of a dictatorial
republicanism which has sought to transpose republican diversity to a
singular constituency, this has rendered republicanism a disservice and
we should avoid the same mistakes this time around.

There are many issues which we can practically work on that require no
ideological retreats for any of us. There are also many issues which we
have to democratically work out but it should be stated that republican
unity has no pre determined outcome and will evolve depending on what
is put in to it. Issues such as British policing in Ireland, the denial
of political status for republican POW’s and internment in the free
state are immediate examples of areas for cooperation. There are other
issues such as electoralism or attitudes towards armed struggle that we
may not all immediately agree upon but this should not prevent
cooperation on existing areas of agreement. The 32 County Sovereignty
Movement for the record are adamant that armed struggle is a perfectly
legitimate form of resistance to the British presence in Ireland.
Issues such as its tactical usage or strategic benefit at any given
time are open for debate. However in the absence of an agreed
collective republican strategy it would not be credible for one group
or individual to call on others to cease to engage in armed struggle on
the basis that it does not fit into their own particular strategy.

What is abundantly clear is that opposition to the occupation requires
political strategy, not ideological or historical rhetoric. Our
document Republican Unity states:

“In one sense republican unity is a desire to be politically relevant
in a contemporary political sphere and in another sense to be
historically true to ensure that republican history is a significant
part of that relevance. And in as much as it represents a balance of
ideals it must also represent a balance between ideals and practical
activity. In political conflict being right and true alone,
unfortunately, is not enough. Though any conflict may rest on a
singular issue they are generally fought on many fronts. Even though
the singular cause may be open to different interpretations the fact
remains that within the Irish context republican interpretations all
conclude that a conflict nonetheless still exists. And with that being
the case those different interpretations must still address the same
many fronts upon which it is fought. In other words the initial
approach to republican unity should be centred on the inevitable
practicalities that any republican view of the conflict must engage if
it is serious about securing its objective. It is here that republican
unity can be built with republican diversity still intact.”

Initially this unity should be centred around activities with which
republicans of all hues are familiar. Protest, Publicity and
Commemoration are what has sustained republican activists in every
movement throughout the highs and lows and the benefits of using such
activities is that the do not require a new formal body to oversee
them. They simply require cooperation between existing bodies.

For our part the 32 County Sovereignty Movement have given copies of
our two documents on Republican Unity to many of the groups and
individuals represented here today. To date there has been little
formal response. We believe that engagement between each other on our
respective political positions and policies is essential as perhaps
misunderstanding each others positions has hindered us in the past.

Our document ‘Preparing an Irish Democracy’ will be made public within
the next week and we would urge all republicans to digest and
critically analyse it. We seek engagement on its contents and we look
forward to other proposals to put meat on the bones of Republican
Unity.

In conclusion the 32 County Sovereignty Movement firmly believe that we
must face up to existing political realities for what they are and not
hide behind our own individual beliefs as a comfort blanket. The
republican struggle has entered into a new phase and the waters are
unchartered. It is false to state that republicans have been in similar
positions in the past because we have not. It is also false to assume
that the next generation will continue the struggle because if we don’t
act soon, act collectively and act decisively there will be nothing to
hand to them. We support the concept of republican unity not because it
is desirable, which it is, but because it is essential. If we wish to
remain isolated, in small groups destined to become an increasingly
marginalised and irrelevant rump, if we wish to remain in political cul
de sacs of our own making then we ought to continue to paddle our own
canoes without reference to each other. However if we wish to make
republican separatism. republican socialism and progressive republican
thought relevant, if we wish to strengthen the republican position and
build a movement capable of challenging the occupation then republican
unity, coordination and cooperation are the keys.

Go Raibh Mhaith Agat.

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